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If a girl goes for a run without GPS – did the run really happen?

Last week, I was getting ready to go for a run, went to grab my Garmin…and it wasn’t there. At first I was puzzled. Then I had a mad search all over the house for it. Then I gave up, thinking, ‘It’s probably good for me to run without GPS for a change’.

It was good for me. Good in the sense that I had no idea how attached I was to my Garmin and having to know my pace and distance until I went out sans technology. I looked at my bare wrist way more often that I would have guessed I usually check my watch. I probably should have known – I mean, I’m the kind of runner who without fail sometimes pauses my Garmin when stopping for water. 

If you see me collapse, pause my Garmin

Also? Since I knew I’d miss it, I figured I’d go all out and not wear a regular watch, either. Or even look at the time when I left. So I was running totally in the dark. I know I did 4 miles and change. I do not have any idea how long it took, or if my splits were negative or positive.

So,  how was it? Weird at first. I kept raising my wrist, then remembering it was naked. Then, it was actually kind of…awesome. The marathon training program I’m starting in 2 weeks advises that until it starts, I should slow my regular run pace down significantly, to get me used to running the long run pace during training. I kind of tried that a week ago when I did a 3-mile warm up run on the treadmill before doing strength training, and found it excruciatingly slow (although that may have been because I find treadmill running so boring and a slow, static pace really exacerbated that).

Love to Hate the Treadmill

This time, out on the road, just a girl and her sneaks, I went out slower than I thought was normal for me and just tried to keep it at that super easy pace. If I had done it with my Garmin, I would have been checking my pace at least a couple of times each mile to make sure I was keeping it at the right speed. It felt good to listen to my body instead. I relaxed, I focused on my breathing. Even the hills didn’t feel awful.

Then I came home and felt a little lost. If a girl goes for a run without GPS – did the run really happen? Um, my body says says yes, but my online run tracker says, ‘Hell, NO, you didn’t run today!’ I bought a paper journal for tracking my marathon training (old school!!) but I’m not going to start using it until the actual training plan begins. And anyway, what would I have written in it? Went for a run – 4 miles (ish). Took me a period of time. Felt good.

Moral of story? I think I need to do this more often. At least for recovery runs, or maybe on rest days when I don’t have to run, I think it will be a good way to get back to really listening to my body when I’m running.

Oh, and my Garmin? My son Roman had helpfully packed it in Fran’s suitcase for a business trip he went on last week. Lucky he’s cute.

Picture of the cutest toddler in the world on a carousel

 

Do you ever run without GPS? 

Do you ALWAYS run without GPS? 

 Is there another piece of technology you’d be lost without?

4 thoughts on “If a girl goes for a run without GPS – did the run really happen?”

  1. I just got a Garmin for Mother’s Day so I’m fairly new to running with one. (although I’m a huge treadmill runner and that is sort-of the same with distance/pace). I like my Garmin but don’t know if I want to keep it set for a certain pace – yesterday it kept beeping and saying “behind pace” “on pace “ahed of pace” – sort of annoying!!
    Your son is super cute – glad that your Garmin was found!!

    1. You can totally change that pace reminder, Kim! I never have that on because I find it equally annoying. 😉

  2. I have been running long distances for over 40 years and have never once worn anything but a watch. There’s no reason. I have seen many podiums in my running “career” – it’s certainly not necessary!

    1. I’m thinking once I start logging my training with pen and paper it won’t be as necessary, but the last time I trained for the marathon, I got so sick of running endless short loops of the park and it was so handy for just doing an out-and-back without having to map it all first!

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