Psychology of the Watch.
Since I started running, I've completed three half marathons and numerous 5K races. And in the past I've always trained with the "time" method, rather than the "distance" method. This means that if a training plan had me running 6 miles for the day, I would run 60 minutes instead. I never wanted to know how far or how fast I was going (or, let's face it, how slow I was running).
Personally, I really enjoyed this method of training. It's pretty relaxed. I can run according to how I feel and not feel pressured that I'm not running at the "right" pace. And I highly recommend this for people who are looking to successfully complete a race!
But at the beginning of August, I'm running another half marathon and I am determined to set a new PR... and break the 2 hour mark! So I've stepped up my training & cross training, have started preparing much earlier than ever before... and have decided to embrace "the watch."
On my first run with the watch, numbers popped up on the screen that I found very discouraging. I was slow. Very slow. So I gave myself an extra push. And each extra push only caused me to get more tired... and slower. It was a vicious cycle. Somehow, I managed to finish the run, but I was tired and discouraged.
After running with the watch for a few weeks now, I've finally been able to take the numbers as information. They tell me where I'm at... and I'm learning to accept where I am at. I'm learning how to pace myself. I'm learning that I run a LOT faster going downhill than going uphill. And I'm learning that I can break past the challenges of the watch and use the information it provides to help me get to me where I want to go (as fast as I want to go there!).
Right now, I'm so inspired by Desiree Linden, winner of the Boston Marathon. She writes on Twitter, "Some days it just flows and I feel like I’m born to do this, other days it feels like I’m trudging through hell. Every day I make the choice to show up and see what I’ve got, and to try and be better. My advice: keep showing up."
What goals are you working towards right now?