First race without the garmin nagging me

I plan on doing a 10k soon without my garmin and just go with gut feeling on pace. Has anybody got any experience of doing this. Positive or negative experiences!

Comments

  • Grendel3Grendel3 ✭✭✭

    I have never worn a garmin in a race - (mind for a lot of my racing life, they hadn't been invented) for 10K go out hard - (but not to fast) and see what happens.

  • I know the course well and have ran it in training several times so know where to push and where to conserve! I reckon it coud be quite liberating without the pressure of splits. In my last race my head went down in the 2nd half as I knew a PB was lost. Not knowing maybe good!
  • WiBWiB ✭✭✭

    Never race with a garmin and never intend to. Would hate to get to the end of a race having paced it using a garmin and feel I had something left and could have run it faster. That would feel like a wasted effort to me. Set out fast (dont kill yourself) and enjoy it! Let us know how you get on image

  • Grendel3Grendel3 ✭✭✭

    I once ran in the Essex road relays when one of our A team (I think I was B or C) took us from a medal position 3rd to about 12th because he ran with a heart monitor and was trying to run within a certain range - needless to say he wasn't the most popular runner that day - now I am not saying we would have won a medal - but as it was the last leg we could have been in with a shout!!!

  • Thanks "wetter" will do. The garmin has become a hindrance in races! I see a lot of guys at sharp end of races seem to run with stop watches only?
  • Must admit I'm addicted to mine. I don't like the unwritten sub-current to this thread that is 'I'm purer than you because I don't run with a watch'. 

  • WiBWiB ✭✭✭
    Peter Collins wrote (see)

    Must admit I'm addicted to mine. I don't like the unwritten sub-current to this thread that is 'I'm purer than you because I don't run with a watch'. 

    I think maybe you are being a bit precious! I use a garmin for training, I never race with one for the reason stated, nothing to do with "purer" b0llocks. If you have picked up an "unwritten sub-current" from that I would suggest you were looking for it or have insecurities... oh and image as that makes everything look more friendly!

  • Dylan man wrote (see)
    Thanks "wetter" will do. The garmin has become a hindrance in races! I see a lot of guys at sharp end of races seem to run with stop watches only?

    Maybe they're cutting down all extraneous weight. Garmins are a tad chunkier than basic digital watches.

  • I should have put aimage on, admittedly. My feeling is everyone can run in the way that feels best to them and is within the rules.

  • madmickiemadmickie ✭✭✭

    Speaking as a beginner I can't see the harm in having something to give you some discipline with your pace and to avoid doing sums in your head off a basic stopwatch. I

    There's a danger in trusting their accuracy - might only be 1-2% out but that's 100-200m on a 10k - pretty significant if you're pacing to knock a few seconds of your PB and your Garmin tells you the 10k is done - but it aint!! The way round this is to lap manually every k on the road to give your average k pace. Information is great when you're going well but can be disheartening if you're going badly.. 

    You can always tailor what you see on the screen and still collect the race data for the post-race analysis.

     

     

     

     

    Having said that, I find it quite refreshing just to go for a run without my garmin

  • Grendel3Grendel3 ✭✭✭

    I never said I didn't run with a watch - I do - I just don't run with a garmin - I want to run as fast as I  can and get the best time I can - despite a 12 year break that hasn't changed - I don't want something on my wrist that is telling me how far I have run and at what pace - I want to finish knowing that I have done the best I can - I have had some great burn ups over the years which have resulted in PBs - I have also blown up badly at times - so my suggestion was not to listen to technology but to run as you feel. If the garmin tells you you have run 10.2K rather than 10K that is irrelevant - you will still only get a time for the 10K

  • I run with mine in races and training just 'cos I'm lazy and can't be bothered working out in my head if I'm on pace or not.

  • Each to their own. Who cares?

     

  • RicFRicF ✭✭✭

    I've raced with HR monitors a fair bit but only when I need reminding how carefully I need to pace the first 5 minutes. 

    🙂

  • RicF- what the first mile then! Lol
  • First time I raced without mine, because I had forgotten to charge it, I felt really anxious - didn't enjoy it at all. Have done various raced since both with and without, and it doesn't seem to affect my times too much.
  • running eyerunning eye ✭✭✭

    I have only been running 6 months-just done first HM in 1:40:21 every single run I have done has been with a garmin I must check it at least once a minute-offical race pictures from the HM show me checking the bloody thing including as I cross the finish line!!

    I set off with intention of a 1:45 finish at 8.00 min mile pace and the garmin helped as i consistantly was just under that at around 7:45, knew I felt ok, didn't push to hard as I knew I was about where I wanted to be

    Wish I didn't feel I need it but am worried about pacing wrong and messing up, if I am doing a long slow run, tempo run-I feel I need the reasurance of knowing I am doing the pace I should be.

    Any advice from ex-garmin addicts would be appreciated

  • I tend to wear my garmin to stop me going off too fast but got my half PB last year without one.   After a few years of trying to go sub 90 (I'm a 40 plus female) I managed it without a garmin, sometimes its just great to run how you feel.

  • JoolskaJoolska ✭✭✭

    Last two races I have done have been on the 'Garmin-lite' basis, that is I set it to auto-lap (or if reception will be poor, take manual splits) but the only thing showing on the display is distance.  It forces you to run by perceived effort but you still get splits.  I'm pretty certain that several poor races beforehand were because I could see that my pace was dropping off and gave up psychologically.  I also think I was letting certain paces (for me, sub 6.30m/m) become 'difficult' and struggling to hit them.  Result?  Mile splits of 6.08, 6.19 and 6.18 (35 secs for last bit) in Tuesday's 5k.  Nice pb image

    My conclusion?  Pace data is great for tempo runs and recovery runs, but I'm trying to get back to perceived effort as my main training tool.

  • KhanivoreKhanivore ✭✭✭

    Running Eye - it seems to be working very well for you. Why change it? On another note - you went from no running to doing a half marathon in 1hr 40min? Blimey - for a newbie like me that is extremely inspiring image I thought I should be looking for something more like 2hr 30min lol - but i digress.

  • Totally agreed with Joolska!



    I ran a 36.45 10k last November vet 45. I thought I was nailed on for another PB recently but I crashed and burned due to mentally giving up when not hitting the required splits in mile 4 onwards. Without the garmin in this case I think mentally I would have been better off.
  • running eyerunning eye ✭✭✭

    Amir I am a little anal with anything I do the 1:40 did not come easy plus I want to be under 1:30 before the body starts to tell me its to old (i am 41)

    I started from a low fitness base-plenty of walking but no other exercise since leaving school 20+yrs ago, followed a run walk plan and went out on average 5 times a week all seemed to be going well (to well) so i started to increase distance and speed to quickly and got 2 injurys close to each other -Planter and ITB'S.

    After easing off for a while I was able to restart my training plan.

    When I could run a couple of miles without stopping I timed myself for a mile at flat out pace-this was end of feb and i did 7.45 mins giving 95%.

    I then stook to my plan gradually increasing distance and putting in some faster shorter runs- 17 weeks after just been able to run a mile at 7.45 pace I was able to run 13.1 miles at this pace-all i did was keep to the plan and didn't miss a session.

    I think the difficult thing is keeping injury free,setting goals that to yourself are reasonable and not worrying if other think "1:40 HM thats a slow mid week training run for me"

    GOOD LUCK

  • I did my first half at age 40 plus in 1.35 on the back of 6 weeks training and some general base fitness not running related. Anything is possible if you knuckle down and take it seriously. 1 year later down to 1.23. Running 6 times a week and 100% committed though! Next step I plan to join a club to move to next level hopefully and sub 1.20.
  • KhanivoreKhanivore ✭✭✭

    Running Eye - wow!!!! This gets better and better image I am 40 too. You know we are both probably having a mid life crisis here right? image Your story has inspired me. I am doing run walk too - just done 4 weeks. However it is never enough so i have been tagging 15 min runs on to the end with no ill effects to date. I will carry on with the run walk and will make these add on runs longer and longer. Sorry to have hijacked the thrad - but I had to tell you how inspiring that was image

  • running eyerunning eye ✭✭✭

    Dylan after your first HM what type of sessions and at what pace did you run to get down to 1:23?

    I am a little unsure on what to do, I have to date done most of my runs at a quicker pace than calculators suggest but now want to include at least one quality session so maybe reduce the pace of my longer runs. I keep reading how important easy long runs are and how they should be the vast majority of training.

    What you do has obviously paid off if your next aim is sub 1:20!!

    I agree that you need 100% commitment, which as I am really enjoying it makes that easier to achieve

  • KhanivoreKhanivore ✭✭✭

    Dylan - amazing numbers man image six weeks? Wow!

  • I followed some fairly tough garmin download 12 weeks schedules from runners world and set up my paces from McMillan calculators. Basically weekly schedule was typical couple of steady runs, tempo pace session, couple of easy runs and a long slow run every Sunday. Take a look on the web there are lots of good 12 week schedules for various time targets. Oh, I also took a lot if advice from a mate who runs seriously at a club. At our age the secreti is to stay injury free and not over train!!
  • I've used my Garmin for about a year now and previous to that just a stop watch, but two weeks ago accidently set it to autopause for 8 mins but didn't realise till I was on the start line for the local HM!! Couldn't re-set is whilst running so just turned it off and listened to my body.

    I ran my fastest HM out of the last 3 I have done since last November and really enjoyed the run, felt great!

  • Decided to go for the garmin lite option. Distance field only and auto lap off. I won't get mile splits but can look at the "player" tool on connect after. image
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