Forums > General Running > Racing without a watch
Has anyone tried it? What was the outcome?
Can we be too dependant on the watch can it prevent us running too slow or is it good add regarding pacing
I have a 5km race tomorrow and am considering running without one. Its only happened to me once before but that was because my Garmin battery was flat. But i wasn't race shape then it was a 10km and it was my longest run in quite a while that was well over a year ago
Tomorrow its 5km though the distance is no trouble but i'm not in 5km shape so it will be interesting nonetheless
lace 'em up!
I suggest you race by feel, instinct, and the mile split, not by what the Garmin pace says, especially for a short race like a 5K. Yes,you can start out too fast and die,but guts can carry you to the finish.
CPT Curmudgeon
Yes, have done it a number of times. I did just fine without it. But then, I was never one who really looked at my watch and thought about what it meant other than "hey, I might be able to finish in this time".
Yes, I think many people are hindered by it. I think that you are better off learning how to listen to your body and using that to monitor your effort level and how hard you push. A watch is just an external device that has no bearing on how you feel that day, how your training went, the course conditions & weather, etc. It might be a useful metric afterwards, but during....eh.
Those are my thoughts, at least.
Last time I did it was by accident -- forgot the garmin and a watch.
The only problem was that there were no clocks or anyone yelling out mile splits -- so I was totally blind. It wouldn't have been so bad except I finished 2nd overall. First place took off like a bat outta hell. I felt like I was pushing, but had not clue how hard. If I could have at least got a split at the mile, would have been fine...
And you can quote me as saying I was mis-quoted. Groucho Marx
Rob
2012 goal = 4:59 for 1,500 meters. (before then just get healthy)
Prince of Fatness
I tried it last year in a 5K. I liked it. I try to run be feel / effort and I think that it's a good idea to go without the watch just to see how you are perceiving the effort. I'll still run with the Timex most of the time but every now and then I'll lose the watch. The disclaimer here is that when I do wear a watch it's not a Garmin, it's a Timex that just takes splits. I hit the button every mile and that's it. If the course isn't marked at miles I may glance at the watch every so often. So I'm not a watch watcher anyway.
I'd give it a shot. You say you are not race sharp right now, so it's a good time to do it. When I did it I tried to maintain an effort level that I could hold throughout the race, but uncomfortably if that makes sense.
Good luck, and post to let us know how it went if you decide to do it.
There is a long dark road ahead of me.
Thanks for your replies. Certainly will give it a go tomorrow. Looking forward to trying it out. There's a 5km i do in August has no markers at all but its a 2 lapper so the only place you can tell how you are really doing is halfway. I actually got my previous PR on that course even though i was wearng my watch at the time. Got my current PR on the course i am doing tomorrow by just trying to keep up with a lady who is slightly quicker than me
I do like my stats as well but can't trust myself that i will sneak a look at my time if i wear one
baby box jumper
Have a good race!
Mimi Running at the speed of walk
Hawt and sexy
I'm touching your pants.
Do what you want, just how you like. Nobody has to know.
I have never worn a watch while competing in a track meat. I have competed in a ton of them in my lifetime. I did not die while not wearing a watch and racing.
Most of the time at a track meet, there is a clock right at the start/finish line. This gives you the opportunity to check your splits each lap.
In a road race, that is not always an option. Hence my original post about being blind because I had no idea where I was until I could see the clock at the finish.
If I could get a split every 400 meters or every mile -- don't need a watch. If I am not getting splits, I need more data...
Of course that's just my opinion, I could be wrong!
No offense.
I have because my watchband broke or because I wanted to try something new. I much prefer running races 5k->50mi WITH a watch. Yessiree. I work hard to know how to run by feel, but that's tricky business. I still like the feedback of time because some days 7:30/mi feels (and IS) a lot harder than other days. Plus, races longer than an hour start getting really disorienting for me without any time-based feedback.
Garmin? Different thing entirely.
Ultima tastes like failure.
Extremist
I leave the gadgets at home, for practice runs and races. I do start a stopwatch at the beginning of my run, then stop it when I get back.
I run just for the freedom and joy of running, not to fit my pace to the clock. Then, the results are what they are. If I wanted to be an elite runner it might be a different matter.
Tiggers don't like haycorns.
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