Running Tip: Unleash Your Inner Pacer - The Freedom of Running by Sensation

Today’s newsletter is written by Letty, host of the Marathon Running Podcast and YouTube Channel:

This week I'm advocating for a little digital detox on your runs. We're so often glued to our GPS watches, tracking every split, monitoring our heart rate with laser focus. And while those stats have their place, I'm here to tell you there's incredible value in occasionally ditching the tech and simply running by sensation.

Imagine this: no beeping for every kilometer, no constant glances at your wrist to see if you're in the "right" zone. Just you, your breath, your body, and the rhythm of your feet on the ground. It might sound a little old-school, but tuning into your body's cues – how does this pace feel? – can be a powerful way to deepen your understanding of your personal limits and effort levels.

Why Unplug and Run by Feel?

• Reconnecting with Your Body's Wisdom: Our bodies are amazing feedback machines. They send us signals all the time about our effort level, fatigue, and even the terrain. By silencing the external data, you create space to actually hear and interpret these internal cues.

• Developing Effort Awareness: Learning to gauge effort by sensation is a crucial skill for runners of all levels. It allows you to adapt to varying conditions – hills, wind, how you slept last night – in a way that a pre-programmed pace on your watch simply can't.

• Breaking Free from the Numbers Game: Sometimes, relying too heavily on stats can take the joy out of running. It can turn it into a constant performance evaluation. Running by feel can bring back a sense of freedom and allow you to simply enjoy the act of movement.

• Building Intuitive Pacing for Races: On race day, things rarely go exactly according to plan. Learning to run by feel allows you to make smart, in-the-moment adjustments based on how your body is responding, rather than blindly chasing a pre-determined pace.

• It's Liberating!: There's a real sense of liberation in leaving the technology behind and just running. It can make your runs feel more mindful and connected to your surroundings.

How to Embrace the Joy of Running by Sensation:

It's simpler than you think:

1. Choose the Right Run: Start with easier or recovery runs where precise pacing isn't the goal. Long, steady runs are also great for this. Maybe leave the watch at home entirely, or just keep it for distance tracking after your run.

2. Focus on Your Breath: Pay attention to your breathing. Is it easy and relaxed? Slightly elevated? Labored? Your breath is a great indicator of your effort level.

3. Tune into Your Legs: How do your legs feel? Are they turning over easily? Are they starting to feel heavy?

4. Use the Talk Test (Loosely): While you're not aiming for a specific pace, notice if you could easily hold a conversation, speak in short sentences, or if you're struggling to say more than a word. This gives you a general sense of your effort.

5. Notice the Terrain and Environment: How does your effort change on hills or into the wind? Running by feel helps you naturally adjust your pace to these external factors.

6. Experiment with Different Efforts: On a longer run without your watch, try intentionally varying your effort based on how you feel. Pick it up a bit when you feel good, ease off when you need to. This helps you learn your body's response to different levels of exertion.

7. Reflect After Your Run: After you're done, think about how the run felt at different points. Did your perceived effort match what you think your pace might have been? This helps build your internal pacing awareness over time.

So, next time you head out for a run, consider leaving the GPS and heart rate monitor behind. Embrace the simplicity of running by sensation and rediscover the joy of moving in tune with your body. You might just surprise yourself with how well you can dial in your effort and gain a deeper understanding of your incredible running machine. Happy unplugged running!

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