Nothing is carved stone.

Barefoot Gentile

Barefoot Gentile

Barefooters
Apr 5, 2010
1,947
1,226
113
53
Fairfield, CT
#1
Well, at least for me! My garmin has made it back to my wrist, again. Here is why, I was getting slow. I ran my annual turkey trot this year, it was 5 miles and my time was 39:18 with a pace of 7:52. I have not ran that fast (fast for me) in over a year. It felt pretty awesome. I ran it barefoot and my feet and calf's definitely felt the effects of pushing my body out of my comfort zone

While I was totally enjoying my garmin free running, my pace was becoming slower. I was averaging around a 9:00 pace, which is fine but I know I am capable of running faster. I feel into a comfort zone, and again here comes my competitive side lurking to the top. The great thing about running the competitiveness is just my personal goals. I have ran twice after the turkey trot, and having the garmin on I do enjoy pushing the pace again.

So I came clean, let the lashings begin!
 
  • Like
Reactions: dharmadan, Alejandro 10, happysongbird and 3 others
#4
I love the Garmin I got in June exactly for the reason you gave; it makes me more conscious of pace, which provokes me to run faster. Still, I do enjoy my gadget-free runs as well. Just as I enjoy the variety of running different kinds of paces/distances/terrains, I enjoy switching between gadgetful and gadgetless running . . . for the moment. Maybe in the future I'll need a complete break, as you did. Just say no to ideological purity and follow your mood!
 
  • Like
Reactions: Robin and Sid
#9
I like my Garmin but misplaced it... Speaking of which, I need to find that thing.
 
#11
Nah - no lashings. I'm an on-again/off-again data junkie, so I can see the thing with using the Garmin. The only reason I don't have one is because by the time I get worked up enough to get one, I go into "off-again" mode. I think part of this is also due to the fact that I have a GPS (albeit clunky one) on my phone that I can use. Remember, personal goals matter - it keeps us running (figuratively and literally) - and real-time feedback (like what the Garmin is providing) is important. I think the key is to remember that you are the Master of Your Domain, not the Garmin, then you'll be fine...
 
  • Like
Reactions: clawhammer72 and Sid
#13
I agree nothing is carved in stone and even if it was you could always break it.
However there could be many reasons why your pace has slowed, I personally slow down a little in the winter and pick up again with the advent of spring.
You may just be tired, or trying too hard and need a bit of a rest.
Using the Garmin again could be a good idea as it will change your routine and keep things fresh for a while, but don't fall into the trap into thinking that it will make you faster, because that idea also isn't carved in stone :)
 
#14
skedaddle said:
I agree nothing is carved in stone and even if it was you could always break it.
However there could be many reasons why your pace has slowed, I personally slow down a little in the winter and pick up again with the advent of spring.
You may just be tired, or trying too hard and need a bit of a rest.
Using the Garmin again could be a good idea as it will change your routine and keep things fresh for a while, but don't fall into the trap into thinking that it will make you faster, because that idea also isn't carved in stone :)
Click to expand...

I agree. In my case I just wasn't trying hard enough. it was a very low mileage, minimal training for my spring/summer races. Time to step it up a notch!
 
#15
numbers can be cool. just don't fall into maf or you'll really hate yourself for about a year or so.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Sid
#16
Don't beat yourself up too badly, BG.

Back in the mid-90s, when training for my first (and thus far, only) marathon, I bought a Polar heart rate monitor about 3/4 of the way through my training program. It altered things dramatically, though, in retrospect, I should have waited until AFTER the race to adopt its use. The point is that I've been something of a data junkie ever since.

Devices have gotten so much more sophisticated now. The Garmin that I use to replace that old Polar monitor tells me way more than I ever need to know, but I have to say that it has honestly been a huge help in learning the barefoot technique. Coupled with a metronome app, I've really been able to learn proper cadence, which in turn makes my run much more fluid and comfortable. And since I tend to run faster than I should after a decent warm up, the feedback keeps me from overdoing it on the first half of a run and then paying the heavy price during the second. It keeps me from being lazy when I shouldn't be, and keeps me from pushing too much if I haven't fully recovered. In short, used as a tool, it's useful. Used as a crutch, it can be debilitating.

So, if it helps you improve and enjoy your running, I say use it unapologetically. I'll defend to the death your right to strap on a device if you choose to do so. :)
 
  • Like
Reactions: happysongbird
#17
I started using RunKeeper on my phone which was great until I realized that I was rarely running any slower than 8mi pace....which was brought to attention by my IT band....lol
I got so focused on my sweet splits and pace, etc that I forgot about the rest.....of course I'm sure you have much more experience to wield than I do....they are great tools when used in some sense of moderation I think
 
#18
Zetti said:
I started using RunKeeper on my phone which was great until I realized that I was rarely running any slower than 8mi pace....which was brought to attention by my IT band....lol
I got so focused on my sweet splits and pace, etc that I forgot about the rest.....of course I'm sure you have much more experience to wield than I do....they are great tools when used in some sense of moderation I think
Click to expand...
That's funny. I just read that slower paces irritate the IT band more than faster paces.

http://www.anaerobic.net/runnersguide.aspx

Under the heading Return to Running Phase:

"Start with easy sprints on level ground, as studies show that running at a faster pace is less likely to aggravate the ITB than slow paced running. Recover between intervals by walking rather than jogging."

Is there ever going to be a straight answer when it comes to running?
 
  • Like
Reactions: Zetti
#19
Bare Lee said:
That's funny. I just read that slower paces irritate the IT band more than faster paces.

Is there ever going to be a straight answer when it comes to running?
Click to expand...

Then we wouldn't need this forum ;)
...besides I like contradictions and ambiguity...they make me question my questions...
 
  • Like
Reactions: NickW and Bare Lee
You must log in or register to reply here.

Support Your Club

Support Your Club! Purchase through the BRS!

Forum statistics

Threads
19,150
Messages
183,617
Members
8,702
Latest member
wleffert-test

Latest posts

Share this page

Share this page
Top Bottom
Back
Menu