Time, pace, distance, resting heart rate, recovery time. Temperature, relative humidity, macros, sweat rate. That’s just a short list of trackable running numbers; right off the dome, as they say. On a scale of one to ten, we’d say we often have zero interest in keeping up with a lot of those numbers. Granted, you can learn a ton about your running from studying that kind of post-run data, we’re not denying that; science is real, and all that jazz. But over the years, we’ve embraced more organic approach to running.
For some background, we’re “drive the route you just ran to see far you went,” years old. We had some of the first editions of the Timex Ironman watches. (Indiglo backlight, anyone?) We remember Gatorade in glass bottles and two flavors, popsicle sticks at the finish line, and when Thorlo socks were considered legit running gear. No, seriously. They actually were.
Not that any of that gives us some kind of competitive advantage. But the lack of constant, immediate feedback from some battery-powered apparatus, meant we were reliant on a far more complicated piece of equipment: our own bodies. Running by “feel,” if you will, requires a level of physical self-awareness that sharpens with continued and repetitive use; like learning a new language, playing an instrument, or swinging a golf club. And if you don’t use it, you lose it.
And with miles and years of practice, we can settle into a particular workout pace or heart rate zone just by feel. It’s more of a parlor trick anymore, since even the most finicky Garmin produces more accurate data. But really feeling it is more than reading numbers off your wrist. It’s about listening to what’s going on inside to generate those numbers. And deep down, we’ve all got the ability to “feel it,” since our bodies are constantly communicating with us. We’ve just got to listen. Feeling tired? Probably need a day off. Craving something salty? Maybe our electrolytes are a little out of whack. Legs like lead? We’re still recovering from the previous workout. Feeling frisky? Perhaps that PR could actually happen today…
Our brains are wired to protect us, of course. That includes protecting us from ourselves. But sometimes our brains need convincing that we’re not trying to run our bodies into the ground. We’re just trying to take our running to the next level. Sometimes the only way to get there means overriding both brain and body, and still knowing where to draw the line. It can be an uncomfortable internal conversation when you’re hardly halfway through a track workout.
Listen to your body. It’ll tell you just about everything you’ll need to know about your running. Keep an eye on that Garmin, too. That old Timex only wishes it could share that much data. But know when to put them all on airplane mode and just enjoy the run.
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