Salty Running

Get chicked.

  • Blog
  • Our Team
  • Training
  • About

Tag: gps watch

Racing by Feel: Combining Data and Perceived Effort

Racing by Feel: Combining Data and Perceived Effort

Chicory Posted by Chicory on November 20, 2017

Arm warmers, breathe-right nasal strips, sunglasses, gloves — when you watch the elites race, they wear their share of accessories.

But have you ever noticed what a lot of them aren’t wearing?

A GPS watch.

There’s a few reasons for this, one being they are often racing for place more than time (dolla dolla bills y’all) and can also utilize the on-course clocks/pace car better than I can (if I just ran, say, 6 or 5 minutes/miles flat, the math would be so easy).

It’s also because they are used to running by feel. Angelica wrote about running the Hartford Half Marathon with less reliance on her GPS recently; Rosemary and Ginko took the “watchless challenge,” and they made me reflect on my own journey to racing by feel.

Racing by feel allows you to find your true potential. Sometimes, with the watch, you’ll look down and scare yourself. “I feel fine, but my pace is too fast! My heart rate is too high!” But — is it? Maybe you are that fast. Maybe you do feel fine.

If you feel fine, you probably are fine, and there’s no reason to slow down just because your watch says so.

Now, I’m sure you’re thinking, “How do I race by feel if I want to PR/BQ/hit XX time?”

Easy. The same as most things: practice.

Many of us race to hit a time goal, and that means we usually train with those goals in mind. Unfortunately, we also sometimes pick those time goals arbitrarily, without good data to back them up. Combining training with all your data plus training by feel allows you to find the sweet spot of picking a realistic goal and then nailing it.

Run fast. Don’t think so hard.

My coach, Matt Ebersole, introduced me to this method, although he never said so directly. Matt will assign workouts that just say run “hard” for anywhere between 20 seconds to 5 minutes. There’s no direction on what “hard” means. My initial reaction was confusion — but how fast is hard??? — but after a few workouts I found these to be completely freeing. How fast is hard? Let’s find out. And today’s hard might be faster than the last time’s, or it might be slower. Just like on race days, variations in the weather, in terrain, in life, all impact your capabilities. And that’s okay!

By recording those hard sessions, I can go back and see what “hard” was. Recently I surprised myself by averaging around my 5k PR pace for 18 minutes of “hard” intervals in bleh weather while trying not to slip on wet leaves. I can see my pace and HR max at different paces.

You can build a similar workout — aiming for no more minutes of hard effort than your 5k time, preferably starting with less. (Say you run a 30 minute 5k — start with 15-20 minutes of hard intervals and add on.) You can do all one length — like 5x 3 minutes — or mix it up, like 4x 1 minute, 4x 2 minutes, 4x 1 minute. Equal- to double-time recovery, knowing that longer recovery will mean more anaerobic effort whereas shorter recovery will result in a slightly different but equally good workout.

Those shorter, “hard” intervals prepare me for the pain that is 5k racing.

What about longer distances?

Practice.

Instead of doing longer sessions at “goal marathon pace,” I do a few each season by “marathon effort.” Typically that’s 70-75% or so of max HR, depending on the person and the distance. (Faster runners tend to be on the higher side, pushing harder for all 26.2 — but they can, because they’re running for a shorter amount of time. The longer you’re running for, the lower your average HR should be.)

I can use that percentage, along with data from past races, to give myself an HR range for those marathon effort workouts. Here’s the key: if your HR says you’re hitting the target, you don’t get to go faster because the pace is slower than you want to run in your race. First, that defeats the physiological purpose of the workout. Second, there are many factors to consider — weather, training fatigue, race day adrenaline, taper, etc. — that will probably change between now and race day.

However, if your marathon effort runs are way off your goal pace, it may be a sign that you need to rethink your plan. “Way off” will also vary depending on your pace.

For this workout, make sure you allow adequate time to warm up/cool down. You could do 4-12 miles at marathon effort as part of a long run. Again, start shorter and build up.

Depending on your watch, you can either cover it up with a sticker/tape (if you need a Salty Running sticker to cover your watch face, let me know!) or change the screen data for your workouts. You might also program the watch to execute the workout for you, so you just run hard when it beeps and then easy when it beeps. (I am too lazy for this; I just use a screen that says lap time.)

By practicing running by feel and marrying that with some Type-A data collection, you can hone in on what different effort levels feel like. When you run, ask yourself, “how do I feel?” and start to connect that feeling with the data. When race day rolls around, you’ll be tuned in to your effort levels and ready to race without your watch holding you back!

***

Do you run or race by feel? Any tips for readers trying to break free of their GPS? 

Categories: Training & Racing
Tags: gps watch, perceived effort, watches, watchless
The Watchless Challenge

The Watchless Challenge

Rosemary Posted by Rosemary on October 12, 2017

Hey, Salties! It’s been a while — oh, four years or so — but I’m happy to be back, along with Ginkgo, even if temporarily, to share my latest running experiment with you.

In a world where numbers seemingly mean everything – salaries, calories, bills, deadlines – running can give us a break from anxious thoughts, an opportunity to connect with good friends and an outlet for spiritual and mental well-being. However, running can also be a black hole of overwhelming numbers – tempo paces, race paces, weekly mileage, heart rate, VO2 max – you name it! All these numbers can take running from escape to a trap before we know it!

Ginkgo and I have a combined resume of over forty years of running, from middle school to high school, college and beyond. As running friends in real life, we regularly bond over the “good ol’ days” when we didn’t have the fancy GPS watches. We relied on our college coaches to yell out splits on the track and at the spray painted mile markers on the road. We didn’t have the option to obsess over pace; we raced by feel, surrounded by teammates and competitors who pushed us.

As the running boom spiked in recent years, we were sucked into the world of relying heavily on GPS watches. Even when not necessarily training (pregnancy x3, fertility treatments x1, mom guilt x a million, and well, life…) we still wore our watches on most runs, waited for the ever-persistent mile beep, and either received gratification that we were on track or guilt that we were ‘out-of-shape.’

Ginkgo learned a lot when she ran during her pregnancies. She ran according to her body cues. She took off the watch. She ran to feel good and to keep moving. But as soon as she approached those postpartum runs, she immediately found herself plopping on the Old Faithful Garmin to see what pace she could reach.

I have always been a pace junkie, thriving on the feedback of 400m splits or a meticulously measured bike path. But years ago, when marathon training got serious, recovery runs became slower and I learned to run measured loops and run for time rather than distance, GPS watch (and judgment) free. These days, I wear a GPS watch about twice a week (tempos, long runs). Most days, I don’t even wear a “regular” watch. I desperately wish someone would prototype a watch that measures distance but NOT pace, so I can reduce my watch days to tempos only.

While trying to nail down a race strategy for our goal race, we serendipitously came across an article by Coach Jenny Hatfield. The result? We are going WATCHLESS and participating in her TIMELESS CHALLENGE.

Our plan:

  • Stay a few strides behind the 1:30 half marathon pacing group for the first 4-5 miles
  • Pick up our stride and feel an uptick in our effort through mile 8-9
  • By mile 9 or 10, tap into our inner GPS and give it our all. Pick up and race until our bodies and minds are completely exhausted. Race. Don’t Panic. Don’t look at the watches until the end.

Our minds can certainly do funny things when we look down at our watches for approval, so we are simply going to eliminate that variable and get back to basics: running and racing because we love it so. With indestructible mental focus, we will press to the finish line without feedback from the infamous GPS watch “beep.”

How will we know if this is a good race plan for us in the future? Well, we’ve made some modifications to our watches. So, these watches will still sync and split and beep and track and do whatever else these watches do, but we won’t see any of it.

Think we’re crazy? Either way, we’ll be back next week with our race report and we’ll let you know how it went. Have you ever raced ‘Old School’?

Categories: Training & Racing
Tags: gps watch
SaltyValu™ Guide to Shopping for GPS Running Watches You Don’t Need

SaltyValu™ Guide to Shopping for GPS Running Watches You Don’t Need

Chicory Posted by Chicory on July 28, 2017

saltyvalu running watch guideSure, you could probably get by just fine with a cheap Timex from the big box store, like runners did in the olden days. But instead, here you are, frittering away the work day or scrolling while your kid barely escapes death or dismemberment on the playground as you wistfully peruse review sites admiring a new watch release with about 50 features you’ll never use and half of which you don’t even understand.

Next thing you know, you’re reading up on GLONASS (after a near miss with the boss or despite the glares of the other parents at the playground). And yes it does sound like something you should see your doctor about, or a term that might land you on the Russian collusion investigation if you google it, but suddenly you find yourself in an online debate on whether it is superior to GPS or not. And then it’s time for a meeting or to take your kid home before he bites another kid.

Don’t worry. We’re here to help! If you’ve got money to blow but no time to do all the research, let us do it for you. Here, we help you decide which ridiculously expensive running watch you don’t need is right for you!

Read more >>

Categories: Friday Fun, Shoes and Gear
Tags: gps watch, watches
Readers Roundtable: Racing and Watches

Readers Roundtable: Racing and Watches

Salty Posted by Salty on September 12, 2016

imageWatches and racing. It seems like something so simple, but deciding whether to wear one, which one to wear, and what setting to put it on if you choose one with multiple settings can be a maddening process! As my husband prepped his race-day gear for his annual half marathon this weekend, he asked me what watch he should wear. We looked at the old Garmin, the new Garmin, the Timex, and considered whether he needed a watch at all. We went around and around considering all the options and he wasn’t even racing it competitively!

I know every time I race, I go through this same process. I’ve tried different things, but still don’t feel settled on what works best for me. I often feel like I need a watch, although is that even true? How does a having a watch help us race better? Might it prevent us from racing our best? Anyway, before I go down a hole, I’ll just ask you:

Do you ever race without a watch? If not, could you?

And if you race with a watch, do you go old-school with simple stopwatch or are you all about the GPS. Lastly, if you use your GPS, what display settings do you use for race day?

Categories: Racing, Readers Roundtable
Tags: gps watch, race strategy, watches
Why I Will Never Get a New Watch

Why I Will Never Get a New Watch

Spearmint Posted by Spearmint on August 4, 2016

watchRecently, I replaced the band on my watch for the third time and in doing so, stopped for a second to ponder whether I had spent more on replacement bands over the past few years than I would have if I just bought a new watch. I felt a little twinge in my heart at the thought of throwing away my trusty green Garmin and then felt a little confused about why I was so attached to it. It’s just a little piece of plastic and rubber after all, and there are plenty of others out there just like it.

On my long run this morning, I remembered the day I purchased that watch. It was about five years ago, during my first ever week of college cross country practice. I showed up watchless because I had no idea I was supposed to wear a watch while running; I’d always just run until I got tired. All my teammates had watches so I headed to the local running store and bought the only watch that came in my favorite color. It has been on my wrist ever since, aside from when the band breaks every now and then.
Read more >>

Categories: Shoes and Gear
Tags: gps watch
Jasmine’s Gear Review: Polar M400 GPS Watch with Heart Rate Monitor

Jasmine’s Gear Review: Polar M400 GPS Watch with Heart Rate Monitor

Jasmine Posted by Jasmine on July 15, 2015

I wish this was a demonstration of the M400 syncing, but it is not. Instead this is a demonstration of the M400 not syncing.
Spoiler alert! I wish this was a demonstration of the M400 syncing, but it is not. Instead this is a demonstration of the M400 not syncing.

Just to change some things up, it is time for a completely unbiased review on the Polar M400 running watch. Polar is looking to change this equation: Polar : Hear Rate Monitors :: Garmin : GPS Watches (translation for the mathematically challenged: Polar, known most for heart rate monitor is looking to crack the near monopoly Garmin has on GPS watches). Should you abandon Garmin for an alternative and is the Polar M400 the alternative to Garmin you should try?

As far as reviews go, usually you can expect me to be highly opinionated on these things. I can be trusted to tell you how I really feel. So how do I really feel about the Polar M400? Read on! Read more >>

Categories: Shoes and Gear
Tags: gps watch
Readers Roundtable? What’s the Best GPS Watch under $150?

Readers Roundtable? What’s the Best GPS Watch under $150?

Cinnamon Posted by Cinnamon on March 16, 2015

Who doesn't love the convenience of a GPS watch?  img via peterm7 on flickr
The convenience of a GPS watch is great!  It’s the expense that’s kind of a drag… img via peterm7 on flickr

We all love a good product review, which is why this week I decided to share with you that our own Ginger, of “run-by-feel” fame, has begun shopping for a GPS watch. She asked the Salty bloggers to help, and since those handy little devices are one of the most expensive pieces of gear available to runners, I thought it would be a great question for you!

“I don’t want to spend too much,” says Ginger. “I really just want a GPS for tracking pace and distance.” Like so many runners she doesn’t need any bells and whistles, she’s just looking for the basics.  The most important feature is that the watch fit into her budget.  Of course Garmin is the forerunner (so to speak) in the US, but we’re also interested to learn about other brands.

Are you familiar with a good GPS watch available for under $150? (That’s $191 Canadian) If not, how much did yours cost, and do you think you would spend that much again?

As always, we’ll take your answers in the comments!

Categories: Readers Roundtable, Shoes and Gear
Tags: budget running, gps watch
What I’ve Learned From Running With My GPS Watch

What I’ve Learned From Running With My GPS Watch

Catnip Posted by Catnip on August 5, 2014

photo (1)I treated myself to my Garmin 405 almost 5 years ago. Coincidentally or not, that fall I PR’ed in the 5k by almost a minute and knocked almost 7 minutes off my half marathon time within the next year. No, the GPS did not make me faster (I think that can be attributed largely to consistent 80+ mile weeks.) Instead, while some runners swear by ditching the GPS to run by feel, I think using this tool made me a smarter, more self-aware runner.

I think that for some of you, using a GPS for your training can do the same for you. Here’s how. Read more >>

Categories: Shoes and Gear, Training Basics
Tags: gps watch, watches
5 Things I Wish My Running Watch Could Do

5 Things I Wish My Running Watch Could Do

Chipotle Posted by Chipotle on September 13, 2013

Friday 5Dear Maker of Popular GPS-enabled Sports Watches,

I want you to know that I am not complaining about my current watch except that the screens do weird things from time to time, but there are some things that I wish you would consider adding to your watches. Because I’m writing this on a Friday, I’ll limit it to five things and I respectfully request that you offer these features at no additional cost, of course.

Read more >>

Categories: Friday Fun, Shoes and Gear
Tags: gps watch, watches
Am I The Only One Running Without A GPS?

Am I The Only One Running Without A GPS?

Ginger Posted by Ginger on June 24, 2013

Information overload! Image via watchreport.com.

This post originally ran on July 30, 2012. 

I have a confession. I’ve called a 6 mile run, 6.5 miles. I’ve also called a 10 mile run, 9 miles. Yes, when I report to you all each week that I ran 40 miles, that figure could actually be 37 or maybe even 42! The world will never know because at the moment, I refuse to run with a Garmin. Or Nike+. Or even the Bia, whose Kickstarter campaign I still supported. Am I a luddite? A fan of the imprecise? Crazy?

Um, no, no and no. Read more >>

Categories: Training Basics
Tags: gps watch, watches
  • Categories
    • Features
      • Ask-a-Salty
      • Elite & Pro Running
      • Friday Fun
      • History
      • Interviews
      • March Madness!
      • News
        • About Salty Running
        • Comment of the Month
        • Comment of the Week
        • Salty In the Press
        • Salty Updates
        • Weekly Roundup
        • Writer Bios
      • Readers Roundtable
      • Shoes and Gear
      • Style
      • Travel Running
    • Healthy Running
      • Body Image
      • Food & Nutrition
        • Recipe
      • Injury & Prevention
      • Running and Mental Health
      • Safety
    • Running + Life
      • Coaches & Team Running
      • Ethics
      • Feminism
      • Making Time to Run
      • Marriage & Family
        • Infertility
        • Post-partum Running
        • Running while Pregnant
      • Motivation
      • Running Community
      • Running on a Budget
    • Sponsored
    • Training & Racing
      • Cross Training
      • Marathons
      • Masters Running
      • Mental Training
      • Race Reports
      • Racing
      • Running for Beginners
      • Running Goals
      • Trails & Ultrarunning
      • Training Basics
    • Training Logs
  • Archives
    • April 2018
    • March 2018
    • February 2018
    • January 2018
    • December 2017
    • November 2017
    • October 2017
    • September 2017
    • August 2017
    • July 2017
    • June 2017
    • May 2017
    • April 2017
    • March 2017
    • February 2017
    • January 2017
    • December 2016
    • November 2016
    • October 2016
    • September 2016
    • August 2016
    • July 2016
    • June 2016
    • May 2016
    • April 2016
    • March 2016
    • February 2016
    • January 2016
    • December 2015
    • November 2015
    • October 2015
    • September 2015
    • August 2015
    • July 2015
    • June 2015
    • May 2015
    • April 2015
    • March 2015
    • February 2015
    • January 2015
    • December 2014
    • November 2014
    • October 2014
    • September 2014
    • August 2014
    • July 2014
    • June 2014
    • May 2014
    • April 2014
    • March 2014
    • February 2014
    • January 2014
    • December 2013
    • November 2013
    • October 2013
    • September 2013
    • August 2013
    • July 2013
    • June 2013
    • May 2013
    • April 2013
    • March 2013
    • February 2013
    • January 2013
    • December 2012
    • November 2012
    • October 2012
    • September 2012
    • August 2012
    • July 2012
    • June 2012
    • May 2012
    • April 2012
    • March 2012
    • February 2012
    • About
    • Contact
    • Login
    • Join the Team
    • Work With Us

    Subscribe

    All content ©2012-2018 Salty Running