Running a race without a watch.. do you?

[Mom of Scooby]

I'm thinking of not wearing my watch tomorrow at the Bird in Hand half..

Mainly because it's going to be stifling hot but also, it's where I really pushed myself last year and all the ups and downs did a number on my PF. My foot is better but not completely recovered but I don't want to lose sight of what I am really training for..

And I'm so fucking competitive with myself that if I have my watch on I will just push push push..

Thought?

[rocketgirl]

I don't know.  I generally wear a watch, but I don't generally look at it.   I tend to settle into a pace and just stick with it unless I did something stupid or get hurt.  Or my legs cramp.  (I ended up walk/stretch/walk/stretch for a whole 1/2 mile during a triathlon once due to calf cramps).

[Richard21142]

I stopped wearing a watch at one point because I didn't want to focus on it at the start, finish and at various points in the race.  Then a lot of races stopped giving  mile splits; so back to wearing a watch.  Now I've started wearing my Garmin so I can get accurate splits (later when I plug it into the computer).  At my last race, the mile split, for me, was off by 37 seconds.  I don't look at it while racing.

[merigayle]

I've never done it but at least you will have the heat slowing you down unlike last year's perfect race conditions. I was thinking if you were running it this year since it the race you really did your foot in last year. Please please please take it easy. No awards or PRs this year!

[Run Amok]

I prefer to run without a watch always. But especiallyin races. But then I always regret not having the times. A friend attaches hers to her shoe so that she can't obsess but it's still running. I guess you could do the same with a spibelt or similar.

[Mom of Scooby]

I stopped wearing a watch at one point because I didn't want to focus on it at the start, finish and at various points in the race.  Then a lot of races stopped giving  mile splits; so back to wearing a watch.  Now I've started wearing my Garmin so I can get accurate splits (later when I plug it into the computer).  At my last race, the mile split, for me, was off by 37 seconds.  I don't look at it while racing.
[/quoting did want it just to analyze after.. I'm
Not racing maybe I can just set it to tell
Me things other than pace and average pace


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[Belgian Lace]

If you're using the race as a training run, don't wear your watch.  You'll get your time and you know the distance.

I usually wear a watch out of habit. I don't care about splits and rarely check the time; not having the watch on my wrist bothers me.

[Mom of Scooby]

I stopped wearing a watch at one point because I didn't want to focus on it at the start, finish and at various points in the race.  Then a lot of races stopped giving  mile splits; so back to wearing a watch.  Now I've started wearing my Garmin so I can get accurate splits (later when I plug it into the computer).  At my last race, the mile split, for me, was off by 37 seconds.  I don't look at it while racing.
[/quoting did want it just to analyze after.. I'm
Not racing maybe I can just set it to tell
Me things other than pace and average pace


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Yeah I like to go back and look
At it but with close to 100 % humidity prob not going to tell me much


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[radial]

Back when I was actually trying to crush other people like bugs, I wouldn't be caught dead racing without a watch.  Nowadays, I couldn't care less. 

[Fast Eddie]

Currently I'm obsessed with acummulating miles on my GPS watch.  I have an awesome watch tan.  Can count the number of times I haven't worn a sportwatch when running on one hand.  Other than in a predictor race, always wear a watch.

[mariobrega]

I'm thinking of not wearing my watch tomorrow at the Bird in Hand half..

Mainly because it's going to be stifling hot but also, it's where I really pushed myself last year and all the ups and downs did a number on my PF. My foot is better but not completely recovered but I don't want to lose sight of what I am really training for..

And I'm so fucking competitive with myself that if I have my watch on I will just push push push..

Thought?

so i have understood that you are not taking the watch with you because you feel pushed by your watch to run more, over what you can ?

I think it is a nice idea. if you are not preparing some race but only runnig for the good and beauty of the run and to keep you better, i think it is ok.

i also i'm running only to fit a bit my body, and not in pro way.
but i take the watch to see how much i'm out of home !
only for this, the watch don't push me at all.

but is you feel like that, put the watch at home and it is your body to tell you
when is "time" to go back home.

i hope to have well understood , because english is not my first language.
have a nice run !

  

[JBM]

I wear a watch but mostly because I like to know what time it is before the start. I get anxious. I will start it but gave up on the Garmin for anything shorter than a marathon and thats only on the roads. I dont wear it in the woods. I do like the GPS to keep me honest w pacing for a road marathon but otherwise I can't care anymore. It is freeing on a run during the week to leave the watch at home.

[Ice Cream]

I understand your dilemma.  I would not run without a watch, ever.  When I participated in a race but did not want to be competitive, I took care of it by making sure I started at the back of a race, where I would be forced to run the first mile far slower than I normally would in a race.  As a result, I would not be able to run a good time and my competitive spirit would not kick in later on.  I am a data freak and I want everything in my Garmin log.

It is also interesting to see the attitude of non-competitive runners at the back of the race: they seem far more relaxed. You can pass some runners, probably quite a few, but you will not feel like you still can run a PR or something like that.

[merigayle]

I never wear a garmin except when I am a marathon pacer, i prefer my stop watch. Sometimes if i really do not care, i do not even start the stop watch and just try to remember my start time.