www.nytimes.com GPS Watch? No Thanks. Top Runners Are Ditching the Data.
An increasing number of elite distance runners don’t wear activity tracking or GPS watches. They think they are better athletes because of it.
Posts
6
Comments
28
Joined
2 yr. ago
I guess I'm the guilty party. :) I posted the article because I thought it was thought provoking enough to engender discussion -- something I like if it's civil and mostly intelligent. I didn't think everyone would agree with the athletes quoted or that they should or shouldn't.
I am not without self discipline. Nonetheless, when I am tired/hot/hungry/etc., as it often is when running, my willpower is at its weakest point. :)
Well, the article consists of interviews with some elite runners . . . so, I understood what they meant.
On Coros watches, there's "effort pace." I think it's very close to "gradient adjusted pace" on some other watches. Both give a pace number adjusted for the grade one is running up or down. On Coros, one can make workout targets using effort pace that adjust for hills.
My Pace 2 doesn't do Google calendar, or any calendar other than my training calendar. It can give notifications from the phone, but I don't use that function.
The training calendar can receive plans built out imported from training peaks, the coros app/website, and probably some others. I use it constantly.
Two things about the 3 give me pause: 1) no ANT+; 2) It can store and play music but, I have read, only mp3s (no FLAC or ogg or streaming.)
I have my Strava set to private. I only make virtual races public.
But I am really only using Strava to collect data and pass that data on.
As the Born To Run guy says, mind and body don't speak the same languages! Often true for me. I too, have run myself into stress fractures while certain I was listening to my body.
I second the Coros Pace comment. I have the Pace 2. I like everything about it - smaller size, light, long time between charges, training plans, bread crumb navigation.
My only complaint is no ski modes but they are said to be on the way.
Good review of Pace 2: https://www.dcrainmaker.com/2020/09/coros-pace-2-in-depth-review-multisport-running-power.html
Yes. One we trusted. Haven't had that since I stopped cycle racing. The more I've learned and experienced, the harder it is for me to trust a coach.
I can easily think of times I likely should have rested or slowed down but wanted to keep a number high.
For me, metrics are a net positive, but I've often done counterproductive things because of them.
I understand your point and agree. And it's a tiny sample. But the the article wasn't about whether some people run too much but about whether addictive behavior can make people run too much.
If you want to look at harmful addictive behavior, asking runners how and why they ran themselves into the hospital seems like an okay starting place.
Article: GPS Watch? No Thanks. Top Runners Are Ditching the Data.
"[Heather MacLean, an Olympic 1,500-meter runner] realized her watch was draining the fun from her runs. It was especially apparent to her during a low-key stretch when she was simply trying to build fitness.
I hated that every run I went on, I felt like I had to check my pace and my distance and whatever else,” she said. “So I just decided that I was going to lay off it for a while and switch to a regular watch.”
She never went back. MacLean, 28, who now wears an Armitron Dragonfly that she said she picked up for $10 at Walmart, acknowledged that there were certain workouts when a GPS watch would come in handy, like when she did a tempo run by herself. (Tempo runs are faster than easy jogs, and frequently run at a prescribed pace.) But Mark Coogan, her coach, has long prioritized effort over pace, and MacLean logs her training in minutes rather than in miles.
“I know I’m at the elite level now, so not everything is going to be joyful,” MacLean said. “But when there are things that
The overtime blurb:
New York Times Best Seller
Over 5 million copies sold
For David Goggins, childhood was a nightmare - poverty, prejudice, and physical abuse colored his days and haunted his nights. But through self-discipline, mental toughness, and hard work, Goggins transformed himself from a depressed, overweight young man with no future into a U.S. Armed Forces icon and one of the world's top endurance athletes. The only man in history to complete elite training as a Navy SEAL, Army Ranger, and Air Force Tactical Air Controller, he went on to set records in numerous endurance events, inspiring Outside magazine to name him The Fittest (Real) Man in America.
In Can't Hurt Me, he shares his astonishing life story and reveals that most of us tap into only 40% of our capabilities. Goggins calls this The 40% Rule, and his story illuminates a path that anyone can follow to push past pain, demolish fear, and reach their full potential.
www.trailrunnermag.com Study Shows Ultrarunners Exhibit An Increased Risk For Exercise Dependency
The qualities that drive many ultra athletes to succeed can also be their downfall if left unchecked. One study dives into the complexities of ultrarunners and exercise dependency.
Report of a study in Trail Runner about exercise dependency. From the article:
The criteria used to evaluate exercise addiction include Salience, which refers to prioritizing exercise over other obligations; Conflict, which arises between exercise and responsibilities; Mood Modification, using exercise to enhance emotional well-being; Tolerance, requiring more exercise to achieve the same mental benefits; Withdrawal, leading to negative emotions when unable to exercise; and Relapse, returning to excessive exercise after reducing activity.
Interesting. We often have conflicts around our house about the time I spend running and recovering from running. And I definitely use running to help myself stay positive.
What do you guys think?
The Oatmeal: The Terrible & Wonderful Reasons I Run
theoatmeal.com The terrible and wonderful reasons why I run long distances - The Oatmeal
A comic about eating.
https://theoatmeal.com/comics/running
Follow the link! Thoughtful and insightful.
Me, too! And I love them! The hooks have saved a lost bud innumerable times.
There's an app to adjust the sound cancelling (in addition to simply turning it off and on), change equalizer settings, and customize the control taps.
Jlab's customer service is amazing! Responsive, genuinely helpful, and focused on making customers happy.
What Garmin really means by "unproductive" - from #running on Mastodon
This made me laugh. I've always wondered!
This is an excellent suggestion! The few I've run have had a complete range of paces. You won't be the slowest. The social part and the regular schedule are addictive.
Did you get the message about a coached marathon or half marathon program? I signed up, though not sure what it is. :)
Mangene HRM
Has anyone used a Mangene HRM? Or a Mangene anything? How was it?
It’s the only reasonably priced HRM (except for Wahoo, which I’ll never purchase again) available where I am for the next couple weeks.
The Coros site has some open box Pace 2s for 159 USD.
Me, too! I really enjoyed the half marathon plan, though I supplemented with skiing and cycling. Currently using the off-season plan though the mileage is a bit low for me, so I extend the distances a bit.
Here's an in-depth review of the Pace 2 from DC Rainmaker:
https://www.dcrainmaker.com/2020/09/coros-pace-2-in-depth-review-multisport-running-power.html
Since the review, the software has been updated, there's an online training calendar and data summary, more sport modes, better models of running performance, and navigation (breadcrumb.)
My spouse's required a subscription to get the data she needs from it. Sigh.